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On the day when death will knock at thy door what wilt thou offer to him?
Oh, I will set before my guest the full vessel of my life - I will never let him go with empty hands.
All the sweet vintage of all my autumn days and summer nights, all the earnings and gleanings of my busy life will I place before him at the close of my days when death will knock at my door.
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| Gitanjali Poem no. 90 |
Summary
The short poem is a song of welcome to the servant of God, the inevitable errand, the point of fulfillment, the way to the Almighty, the Death.
The knock at door of the poet brings him face to face with Death. But he is not least afraid of it and asks it himself what he should offer to this guest. He will not allow the guest to go away with empty hands. He will give to Death all that he has acquired, earned and stored during his life on this earth.
Critical Analysis
The poet glorified Death and invites it as inevitable. He feels that Death is an auspicious event that will unite soul with the Supreme. Like life Death is another truth and man should love it as he loves the former. That is why when Death knocks at the door he will surrender in all his totality before him to enjoy the bliss of sea of eternity and ecstatic fulfillment.
"All the sweet vintage of all my autumn days and summer nights, all the earnings and gleanings of my busy life will I place before him at the close of my days when death will knock at my door"
The theme is again of facing death. When death knocks at the door of the poet, he will treat it as an honoured guest, and not as an unwelcome intruder. The poet will offer the choisest gifts to this guest, and would not let him, go back with empty hands. He will place before death all the sweet wine of all his autumn days and summer nights, all the enjoyable experiences which he has then undergone. Everything which he has earned or gathered slowly and laboriously throughout his life, he will offer to death when it calls on him on his last day. The poet invites the inevitable death and glorifies it.
Annotations
Vintage: wine. Gleanings: Something gathered slowly with great labour.